442 Indications of the Fertility or Barrenness of Soils. 
verized by frost, or extreme dry weather. On each of these three 
soils I have seen the wind blow the wheat up by the root in the 
spring of the year ; and on pasture-land of this description I have 
seen the grass-plants actually drawn out of the ground by the 
frost. 
I know of a farm in the county of Gloucester that for many 
ages had lain as a common. It was inclosed about twenty years 
ago. and most of it ploughed up, but, contrary to expectation, it 
proved bad, uncertain land. The tenant tried every means he 
could devise to improve it, but all to no purpose. He pared and 
burned some, and had he continued doing so he might have 
burned the whole of the top-soil — aye, actually consumed it. 
Disappointed and brought to a stand-still, he applied to his land- 
lord for a reduction of rent. The landlord said, " No ; but if 
you think lime will do any good, I will pay for lime to a certain 
amount." The tenant procured lime from a distance of 16 
miles, and dressed his land with it. The result was good crops 
of every description after the lime. Now, adjoining this farm, 
and only separated by a turnpike-road, and on soil of the same 
description in every particular, is another farm of old tillage- 
land, which always grew good crops without lime. How, in this 
particular case, I will ask, can chemistry tell the productive soil 
from the unproductive ? The excess of vegetable matter in the 
old common land was, in a great measure, dissipated before the 
lime was applied ; therefore but little difference in that particular 
could have appeared. This is a dark-brown, gravelly top-soil, 
with a subsoil of much the same earth. 
Vegetation. — As regards vegetation on the best soils, much 
depends on its condition. If full of manure anything will grow 
to a good crop that may be planted, provided such crop is calcu- 
lated for the particular sort of land. The elm grows well on 
most good soils, especially on the loams ; and nearly as well on 
poor, thin loams, provided the subsoil be loose and dry. On the 
best arable lands, in good condition, and out of crop for a short 
time, the groundsel and land-grass will appear : a sure guide that 
the land is fit to be planted. But on good arable-land, out of 
condition, every description of weeds and j)lants the soil is or has 
been subject to will come again, and many will appear which are 
to be seen on barren soils : therefore, as regards vegetation, much 
caution is necessary before giving an opinion as to the relative 
fertility or barrenness of any soil. 
Difficult cases of this sort might be multiplied to a great 
length, therefore I will content myself with what I have said 
heretofore relative to this particular, and more especially to the 
remarks on pasture-land, on which I cannot say more to the 
point. 
